Eczema is a chronic skin condition that is characterized by dry skin that is red, swollen and extremely itchy. Eczema is not a contagious skin disorder but it is believed to have a hereditary connection. Research has pointed to the fact that most of the time, atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, is inherited from either one or both of an individual’s parents. A person who has one parent who suffers from eczema has a one-in-four chance of developing the condition. If both parents have it then the chance is increased to one-in-two chances. Most individuals who have both parents with eczema do indeed develop the skin disorder. As well many people who develop eczema also have a genetic tendency to develop other allergy related health problems such as hay fever and asthma.

Approximately thirty percent of infants will develop eczema but many will outgrow it by the time they reach three to five years of age. In babies it generally first appears between the ages of four to six months and it starts with the appearance of a red rash that could possibly ooze fluid. Next it spreads to the cheeks and the forehead and sometimes continues to the arms and legs of the baby. In the most severe of cases, the baby’s entire body becomes covered with the skin disease. In the instance of cradle cap (or infantile seborrhoeic eczema) a great deal of scaling appears on the scalp although it is not itchy.

Some infants do not outgrow their eczema but carry it into their childhood years. For those who have a predisposition to develop it but did not do so in their infancy they could potentially develop it anytime between the ages of two and four years of age. When it comes to a bout of childhood eczema, the rash first appears behind the knees, the ankles, the creases of the elbows and sometimes will even affect the face, neck and ears of the child. It is likely to be very itchy and therefore require a topical steroid cream. Childhood eczema generally disappears sometime between the age of ten and twelve although some children continue to be afflicted by it well into their teenage and adulthood years.

Adult atopic eczema often begins in the twenties it is it to continue for the majority of a person’s life. It is generally characterized by large spots of red, swollen, itchy and oozing skin. Adult eczema tends to appear in the neck area, elbow creases, wrists, behind the knees and the ankles. Adult eczema very often does improve in middle age, in particular in the forties or fifties. Atopic eczema very rarely ever begins in senior citizens, however there is a form of eczema that does show itself in older people and it is called varicose eczema. This kind of eczema affects the ankles and is by and large caused by poor circulation to the legs.

Despite the fact that many children do outgrow eczema, they often do have a “lifelong tendency” to have problems with their skin. These problems include dry skin that chafes and gets irritated very easily; hand dermatitis; skin infections such as staph, yeast infections and herpes simplex (such as cold sores) and eye problems in terms of cataracts and eyelid dermatitis.